Improved pipe-tongs



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT G. PAGE, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PAGE, WILSON81; CO., OF SAME PLACE.

IM PROVED Pl PE-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,820, dated May 15,1866.

To all whom if may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. PAGE, of Fitchburg, ot' the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an ImprovedPipe-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the saine to be fully described inthe following specification and represented in the accompanying drawing,which denotes a side View of the same.

In the said drawing, A A B B are two levers, one of which is laid on theother, both being connected together by a common fnlcrum or joint pin,C, going through them laterally.

The shorter arm A of the longer lever A A is provided with a hook orjaw, a, arranged with respect to such lever in manner as represented.

The shorter arm B of the lever B B makes an obtuse angle with the arm Aot'such lever, and has a female screw formed transversely through it toreceive a male screw, b, projecting from a rotaryjaw, D.

By revolving the jaw D and its screw b, I can adjust the distance of thesaid jaw from lthe arm B, and in a manner relatively to the jaw a, ascircumstances may require, in order to adapt the pipe-tongs to thegrasping of a pipe when the jaws are closed upon it, for the purpose ofenabling it to be revolved by manual power applied to the longer arms ofthe tongs.

The great merit of my improved pipe-ton gs rests in the simplicity oftheir construction, they consisting of but four pieces-viz., the twolevers, their connecting or joint pins, and thejaw D and its screw b.

The jaw D being rotary, its adjustment can be readily effected by simplyrevolving it so as to turn its screw bin the arm B. This dispenses withmuch mechanism which is necessary in other kinds of tongs when theadjustable jaw is not a rotary one. The jaw D at its upper end has atriangular notch formed. in it, and in such manner with respect toopposite sides of the jaw as to convert the upper end of the jaw intotwo teeth, the vertex of one being in line of the axis of the screw b ofthe jaw. The vertex ofthe other of the two teeth is at a distance fromsuch line, as represented. By turning the jaw either of the said' teethmay be brought into action with a pipe when on the otherjaw. Thisconstruction of thejaw and arrangement of the teeth with respect to theaxis of its screw give it an advantage in adapting it to a pipe which itwould not otherwise have.

I am aware that pipe wrenches and tongs have been constructed with onejaw having devices by which it was rendered adjustable with reference tothe other, and therefore I do not claim the principle or any ot' themodes heretofore adopted for carrying it out, and particularly I do notclaim the pipe-wrench described in the United States Patent No. 18,135,dated September S, 1837, and granted to H. M. Clark, as my invention isproperly au improvement in pipe-tongs formed ot' two crossed and jointedlevers, and has its adjustable jaw revoluble with its screw 5 but What Ido claim as my invention or improvement isl. The arrangement of the armB with respect to the arm B of the lever B B', in the mannersubstantially as described, and the application of the jawD to such armB by a screw, b, projecting from the jaw and screwed through the saidarm, in manner and so that it may be revolved with and by means otrhcjaw, substantially as specified.

2. When the jaw D of the pipe-tongs is con nected to its screw b so asto operate with it, the arrangement ot' one ot' the two teeth ofthe jawin and the other aside from the axis of the screw produced, the wholebeing as explained.

ALBERT G. PAGE.

Witnesses:

G. H. WASHBURN, F. P. HALE, r.

